Going Trio
by lkcrm94
Summary: Dreamstone fanfic. The Urpneys are fed up of Urpgor, so they go to steal the Dreamstone on their own. Will they succeed? No.
1. Chapter 1

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: The Dreamstone was another of my favourite shows when I was a kid. Despite its popularity in the early 90s, it's quite sad to see that it is almost forgotten about today outside the dedicated fanbase.**

**I started writing this in late May – early June. It's October now (I should really get round to finishing these quicker). My writing style appears to have changed a bit since my last fanfic but hopefully it won't be too noticeable. There was one episode I remember in which Urpgor attempts to steal the Dreamstone on his own because he is annoyed of the Urpneys' failing, and I always wondered 'why didn't _they_ ever try and steal it without _Urpgor's_ help? They hate him too,' so this was my initial inspiration for this story.**

**By the way, I must apologise for Zordrak's 'minimal role'. If I get a chance to write another Dreamstone fanfic (_if_, not _when_) I'll try and make Zordrak appear more.**

**Anyway, The Dreamstone was created by Mike Jupp and the rights are owned by Cookie Jar Entertainment (series 1-2) and Dreamstone Productions Ltd. (series 3-4).**

* * *

The sky was completely black. There was no denying it. Thunder clapped and lightning zapped, but the sky wasn't black just through storm clouds; it was also because this land was evil. The barren landscape was just as bleak as the sky, with jagged rocks and threatening pitfalls and other perils hidden to the eye. In Viltheedian terms, a wonderful day in the Land of Nightmares.

In the centre of the Land of Nightmares was the Black Mountain of Viltheed. The mountain could not be ignored, as it loomed in front of the Red Planet of Doom, which hung motionless in the sky. But this wasn't any old mountain – it resembled a fortress or castle that looked as if it was formed naturally from the rocks at first glance. Inside this mountain was Viltheed, and throughout the mountain were hundreds of tunnels and passageways, each leading to various rooms and places within Viltheed. The people who lived here were the Urpneys – a race of beings who enjoyed conflict and served their master as obediently as they could.

The ruler of this land was the mighty Lord Zordrak. But don't be fooled by thinking of 'mighty' in a good way. Zordrak was the Lord of Nightmares, and hated everything 'good'. He sat in the vast throne room of Viltheed, surrounded by the Argorribles – nightmares that took the form of a ghostly purple mist. He rarely seemed to move from the throne, but he let his dark presence be felt throughout the Land of Nightmares. Even his appearance was frightening, with red eyes and teeth as long as a person, as he towered over every inhabitant of the Land of Nightmares and spoke with a threateningly low voice. No-one dared say anything against him, or mess anything up in his presence, for they knew what fate would await them: a one-way plunge into the Pit of No Return; Zordrak showed no mercy in failures, and neither did the Frazznats that occupied the bottom of the pit. The Lord of Nightmares was as frightening as Satan himself, and possibly even more ruthless.

The thing Zordrak craved the most was to possess the power of the Dreamstone, the most precious object in the land. If Zordrak could gain possession of the Dreamstone, he could spread the nightmares across the land, and even worse, take over the universe…but fortunately, that day has never came. That is partly because the three Urpneys who were given the task of carrying out 'Operation Dreamstone' were not the brightest of sparks. And today, a new attempt was underway.

Not for the first time, Sergeant Blob and Corporals Nug and Frizz stood inside the laboratory of Urpgor, the chief Urpney scientist. Urpgor was by far the most bizarre of the Urpneys. Although he was certainly the most intelligent of the lot, he seemed almost insane, typical of your usual mad scientist, and like any mad scientist he wore a white lab coat that was too big for him. He seemed to slither as he moved, and his speech was sometimes difficult to interpret through his constant typical-mad sniggering.

Urpgor was standing in view of the three Urpney soldiers as he was showing off and demonstrating a new invention. This new invention resembled something between a bulldozer and a crane. Placed in the centre of the room was a small dais, and on top of that was a replica model of the Dreamstone, cast in a metal similar to bronze. Urpgor's usual responsibility was to provide Operation Dreamstone with inventions to carry out the tasks.

"…And when you get there, you press this button," he explained with a gloating tone, as he pressed a button on the side of the machine. A claw emerged from the front of the machine and swallowed the replica Dreamstone. "_This_ one; the _blue_ button, not the red," he went on. To the other three Urpneys, he sounded like a patronising teacher. He had constantly been demanding them to pay attention throughout the whole demonstration.

"Now you have to do all that exactly the way I've said – _exactly_ the same; got it?"

The three Urpneys exchanged each other unconvinced glances. Frizz seemed the most dismayed out of the three. He shook his head and glared at the scientist. "No."

There was a moment of silence. Blob and Nug were astonished. They hated Urpgor too, but was Frizz's refusal a wise decision or not?

"What did you say?" Urpgor asked, both astounded and bemused. He breathed heavily as rage began to boil within.

Frizz stared back, undaunted by this threat. "I said 'no', that's what," he repeated, and he stepped forward. "I'm fed up of being humiliated in front of Zordrak and all those Noops, and it's because of you. You're denying us our true potential by giving us all this machinery rubbish," he said, pointing at the contraption, "And whenever we almost succeed, your inventions always go wrong or get outwitted, and we have to pay the price for your recklessness."

"That's because you three don't listen to a single word I say!" Urpgor replied irritably. "If you listened and remembered, you'd actually get somewhere! And there are other factors you need to take into consideration…"

"Well I'm not taking it any more," continued Frizz as he folded his arms. "I am willing for us to go and get the Dreamstone, but on our own – without your input…after lunch."

Upon hearing this, Urpgor sniggered, and this lead to a howl of laughter. "You? Get the Dreamstone on your own? Without _my_ brilliant intellect?" he hounded. "Ha! Don't make me laugh! You can't even tell left from right, let alone achieve anything on your own!"

As Urpgor was insulting Frizz, the wheels inside Nug's head began to turn as he thought more about the situation. Without warning, he too stepped forward. "Yeah, no," he said as he stood beside Frizz. "I'm with you, Frizz."

"What?" Urpgor yelled with shock as he clutched the sides of his head to steady himself. "Not you as well! I've spent hours of hard labour to make this thing _by myself_ – for your benefit! And now _you_ refuse too?"

"It doesn't matter to us now," said Nug. "We're capable of getting the Dreamstone without your inventions."

Urpgor was shaking with anger. In a last desperate attempt to show some order, he turned to the second-highest-ranking person in the room and urged, "Sergeant, do something! Control these men!"

Blob grinned wryly to himself. "Sorry, Urpgor," he replied, "But I'm afraid (h)it's three against one."

Urpgor's mouth dropped open. The soldiers turned to the door, leaving the stunned scientist and the invention behind them.

"You traitors! You deserters!" Urpgor howled as he hopped from one foot to the other. "Wait until my master hears about this treachery! You'll never get the Dreamstone on your own! You're nothing without me – nothing! You'll see!"

* * *

**Yeah you can kinda tell I remember the bad guys more. The Dreamstone was interesting because… well, I don't know if this was intended, but I sympathised with the bad guys as much as with the good guys. Sergeant Blob talks funnily because…he just does! In the show, he said 'h's before certain words beginning with vowels, and he also muddled up long words. I just thought I might say that before someone assumes I've got bad grammar (I'm actually really fussy about spelling and grammar).**

**Also, with regards to the line "The Lord of Nightmares was as frightening as Satan himself", if you know the history of the show, you'll probably know what I'm talking about, heh heh.**


	2. Chapter 2

Beyond the Mist of Limbo, on the other side of the world, was the Land of Dreams, a very happy place indeed. This land was a complete contrast to the Land of Nightmares. You would never think they were on the same planet. Instead of a baron landscape and awful weather, there were green meadows and sunny skies.

In the middle of the land was a quaint little village. The people who lived here were the Noops. Unlike the Urpneys, Noops were very peaceful in nature and they lived and worked together in harmony. The village was also home to the Dream Maker, who lived in a grand fairytale-like castle. He was the one who had the Dreamstone in his possession, but he didn't use it for evil purposes as Zordrak intended – the Dream Maker used it to send pleasant dreams to the inhabitants of the world and other worlds, and also to repel bad dreams from the Land of Nightmares. Occasionally, one nightmare would manage to evade detection and frighten someone, but this was usually rare. At the moment, the Dream Maker was in his office, examining the books on the shelves and racking his brains over which 'dream recipe' to use for the night's dreams. He was accompanied by Albert, his pet dogfish that swam in the air. Albert was his closest companion.

The Dream Maker and Albert were not alone in the castle, for two Noops worked there: Rufus and Amberley. The two Noops were best friends, having known each other for years (it was Amberley who had suggested the job as the Dream Maker's apprentice to Rufus in the first place). They both enjoyed their job in the castle, as the Dream Maker was very kind to them and the job was very rewarding.

Rufus was working in the laboratory. The laboratory was a vast room with stunning blue-sky walls, a spotless marble floor, and tremendous bottleshelves and bookshelves, one of which was a secret door to the Dreamstone! There was also the laboratory equipment to collect the 'ingredients' for the dreams: a tank containing sunshine bubbles, a box and barrels of laughter bubbles, a pipe organ for music bubbles, and a birdhouse for birdsong bubbles.

Rufus lay underneath the pipe organ, with a toolbox nearby. He was repairing a small fault on the underside of the organ, which had been causing the music bubbles to appear slower than usual. As he worked, he was singing a little song to nobody in particular.

He was so busy working and singing, he failed to notice that Amberley had crept into the room and could hear him. She was standing near the door, careful not to be noticed. She giggled to herself at hearing him singing, before stepping closer and calling "Rufus!" to get his attention.

Upon hearing her, Rufus yelped and wriggled from underneath the pipe organ, knocking the toolbox over. "Oh, er, hello Amberley," he said sheepishly as he scrambled to pick up the tools. "I…I didn't hear you come in…"

"Daydreaming again?" Amberley chuckled. "Never mind. I was looking for the Dream Maker. There's this letter for him," she explained, holding an envelope in her hand. "Do you need any help?"

"Thanks, but it's alright," said Rufus. "I think I've fixed it anyhow." He pressed one the organ keys, and several bubbles spouted from one of the pipes.

As if right on cue, the Dream Maker floated into the room, with Albert by his side. "Ah, young Rufus, I see you have solved the dilemma with the organ. Splendid."

"Thank you sir," said Rufus gratefully.

"Sir," said Amberley, "This letter came for you."

She handed the envelope to the Dream Maker, who looked at it with glee. "Ah, wonderful! Yes, thank you, young Amberley, I've been expecting this to come today," he said as he opened the envelope and read the letter.

"Expecting what, sir?" Amberley asked.

"An order confirmation, my dear," the Dream Maker replied. "I shall be expecting an order to arrive later this afternoon. It's something _very_ important." He said the last sentence in a quiet voice, as if it were something secretive. "Make sure to be here when it arrives. I assure you two will be amazed. Oh, this is exciting…" he said as he floated away.

"The Dream Maker looked really pleased to read that letter. What do you suppose he's ordered?" Rufus asked as soon as the Dream Maker was gone. "He doesn't usually get _that_ excited over an order."

"I don't know," Amberley replied, "But it must be important if the Dream Maker says so. We'll have to wait and see."

* * *

Of course, when Frizz and Nug had said they didn't need Uprgor's inventions earlier, they didn't mean _all_ of them – they _did_ need to use the Whirlyped to get through the Mist of Limbo, and Urpgor knew that was so. But Urpgor had not only taken the new invention away from them, but had also tampered with the Whirlyped too in an act of revenge. He had added a small device to the aircraft that would allow it to fly in the Land of Nightmares and the Mist of Limbo, but not through the Land of Dreams. The three Urpneys only discovered this once their landing had been forced at the very edge of the Land of Dreams, and there was only one alternative to get to the Dreamstone now: walking.

The journey hadn't been easy. They had constantly been on guard while trudging through the forests in case they were noticed by the Wuts, the guardians of the forests, who would immediately alert the Dream Maker. Somehow they had managed to evade this detection, but by now, the Urpneys had been walking for what seemed like hours. The sun beat down upon them, causing them to swelter in the heat. They were now making their way along a thin country lane with hedges on either side.

"Can't we stop yet, Sarge? I'm exhausted," spluttered Nug as he wiped the sweat from his forehead. "We've been walking for hours."

"Please let us rest, Sarge! My legs are going to drop off!" Frizz moaned. He grabbed Nug's tail in a futile attempt to get pulled along the path, but this extra weight caused the already-weary Nug to collapse to the floor and drag Frizz down too. They lay on the floor and breathed heavily together.

Sergeant Blob slowly turned his head to reply to the two soldiers. "Absolutely not," he panted, still trudging on. "This is no time for rest. March on, men…" He stumbled onward sluggishly and started gradually lowering to the floor until he was on his hands and knees, crawling slower than a snail. Blob's arms gave way and his body slammed onto the ground, leaving a small crater in the path.

"Halt, men…rest…" he ordered, struggling to speak. He rolled onto his back and gasped for air. "We shall regroup by this tree," he wheezed as he pointed to a tall tree standing by the bushes not far from them. The Urpneys somehow managed to drag themselves over to this tree, and they propped themselves against it and groaned. The tree sagged.

"Ah, it feels great to sit down," Frizz sighed as he rubbed his throbbing feet. "Has anyone brought any food?"

"I didn't know it took _that_ long to walk this far on foot," groaned Nug. "What's the plan of attack, Sarge?"

"It does not matter at this moment; we 'aven't reached the Valley of the Noops yet, but something tells me it is somewhere in the vicinity of this area."

"Of course it is, Sarge; we can see the village from 'ere," Nug said glumly as he pointed down the hill towards the quaint collection of houses. In the centre of the village and towering over the houses was the Dream Maker's castle.

"Shut up, Nug!" shouted Blob, trying to regain order. "As I was saying before that mild intervention, our plan of attack is to make our (h)entrance into the Dream Maker's castle and appre-end the Dreamstone as quickly as possible, without anyone being aware or susceptible of our presence. Once we 'as acquired the Dreamstone, we is to immediately make our way unnoticed back to Viltheed."

The other two Urpneys exchanged glances from each other. "But that'll take ages, Sarge," said Nug. "Can't we get back to the Whirlyped some other way – a way that doesn't involve walking?"

"Walk our way back? On foot?" asked Frizz. "Oh no, no, no, I'm not walking the way back at all. I must've pulled every muscle in my legs walking all the way 'ere. This is all Urpgor's fault – meddling with the Whirlyped when we could've saved time and effort. He doesn't even use it for anything, so really, it's ours." He said the last sentence a bit quieter than the rest.

Blob sighed. "I will admit, men, that we've faced a more (h)imperious journey than usual, but rest assured, we shan't take long to get our 'ands on the Dreamstone."

Nug continued looking at the village from where they were. "Sarge, if we're going to go through the Noops' village, how are we going to without anyone noticing us?"

"Oh! What are we going to do, Sarge? Think of something!" Frizz whined. "If all those Noops see us like this," (He pointed at his armour) "We could get…we could get…humiliated by the Dream Maker again! It's so embarrassing when you're trying to be taken seriously."

"Or we could get ran out of town," Nug added, joining in the forecasting.

"Maybe…or maybe we'd be put in the stocks and pillory…and have food thrown at us! They have a greengrocer in their village."

"Or we could get thrown in the river. The water's cold this time of year."

"Be quiet! I'm trying to think," Blob barked. He had his hand on his chin in an intellectual way. As he thought for inspiration, he noticed Nug observing something over the hedges they were resting by. Blob peered over the hedge and caught sight of a barn and some scarecrows in the centre of the field behind the hedge. "Ah-ha, I've got it; the most spectacular plan ever divided! Quickly, men; there is no time to waste. Follow me!"

Blob got back up and started slowly off towards a stile in the hedge. The other two Urpneys groaned and heaved themselves back up to follow their chief officer. They had to rush a little to catch up with him.

* * *

A moment later, the Urpneys stepped out of the barn, and they looked a mess: straw was spilling out of their armour and they wore large sacks on their heads (large to conceal their large noses). Each sack had small two holes cut for their eyes to see through. Frizz wore his glasses on the outside of the sack he had on his head.

"I don't like this idea anymore," said Frizz as he scratched his arms and neck frantically. "All this straw's going to make me come out in a rash."

"I don't like it either," Nug agreed. "It's not going to work, Sarge…whatever it is."

"Don't be silly, men," the Sergeant told them, "And remember that _I_ am the one making the decisions."

"What's all this straw and sacks even going to do anyway?" asked Nug.

"Clearly you 'aven't thought through this (h)indigenous plan of mine as well as I. This disguise is for us to sneak through the Noops' village undetected. We won't be recognised."

Frizz nodded. "Ah, I see! That's actually alright, that is. I bet Urpgor wouldn't have thought of something as nifty and…natural as this." he stated. "We don't need 'im and all that mechanical rubbish to think for us all the time from now on."

All of a sudden, Frizz let out a shriek of fear, and he grabbed the head-sack. "Urgh! There's something in 'ere! Get it out! Get it out!" he yelled as he squirmed to take the sack off his head. Nug glanced over as the sack came off Frizz's head, and a small rodent-like animal fell out and scurried away into the thicket of the grass. Frizz fell silent with embarrassment.

Sergeant Blob rolled his eyes and groaned. "This is no time for childish tomfoolery. The sooner we get our 'ands on the Dreamstone, the sooner we can go and prove to Urpgor 'ow capable we is without 'is interventions!"

"Speaking of Urpgor, do you think he's missing us or not?" asked Nug.

"Of course he won't be missing us," said Frizz. "He's probably dancing with joy by now…but when we come back with the Dreamstone, we'll 'ave the last laugh."

* * *

Frizz was indeed right about what Urpgor was thinking. His anger from earlier had subsided, and he was now over-the-moon with joy. Urpgor was practically skipping down one of the rocky tunnels of Viltheed, cheering with merriment. He had told Zordrak about what had happened, but Zordrak's reply was that he should be glad of getting rid of them! And now he was! Urpgor made his way towards a door – the door to his laboratory. The door swung open as he bounded in.

"Hooray! I'm rid of those delinquents at last! I can feel freedom for the first time in years! Ha ha!" he yelled with jubilation. He bounced to his desk and spun on the chair. "Ah, this is more like it. No more running around for anyone. No more ball-and-chain holding me back. Not a care in the world!" He sighed with delight and looked around the room with a wide smile. "Now, what shall I do to pass the time?"

His eyes caught sight of a chemistry set sitting amongst the junk machinery that cluttered the laboratory. Urpgor collected the kit and began assembling it on the desk, and he sniggered the whole time. Amongst the kit were test tubes, each containing a different coloured chemical. Urpgor continued to snigger as he selected two chemicals (a red one and a green one) for experimentation. He poured a few drops of the red chemical into a beaker, and poured in a few drops of the green chemical. The two chemicals reacted with a 'bang!' and smoke billowed out of the beaker. Urpgor cheered and whooped with joy at the result.

He repeated the experiment again, with the same result, but this time he didn't cheer as loudly. A third time, and this smaller cheer was reduced to a snigger. A fourth time, and Urpgor was silent. His smile began to fade as he repeated the experiment again, and he yawned. Several repeats later, and Urpgor was slumped over his desk, snoozing. Some of the chemicals had slightly spilt, and the spilt drops slowly edged towards each other. They made contact with a pop. The din caused Urpgor to jump awake, wide-eyed with surprise.

"Wha…? Oh, it's just that," he said solemnly. He slouched on the seat again and drummed the desk with his fingers.

"You know, with those three idiots refusing my assistance, I've got nothing to invent…which means I'm completely BORED!" he howled in dismay as he leapt from his seat and began stomping around the lab. "Because they're out getting the Dreamstone on their own, then there's nothing for me to do! And without my inventing, my useful services won't be required anymore, and I'll be out of a job!" He said this as if it were torture.

He snapped his fingers and frowned. "They'll fail; I know they will. And when they do, they'll come back to me. But with them coming back, I'll once again be surrounded by useless Urpneys with inferior intelligence…but anything's better than nothing!"


	3. Chapter 3

The Urpneys had successfully crept through the Noops' village, and were now standing at the wall to the Dream Maker's castle. The section they stood at was much taller than the rest of the wall – the idea for them was to try another place to climb over, as they assumed some sort of defence mechanism would be placed where they usually climbed over.

"Hold your 'ands out like this," Blob ordered, and cupped his hands to form a step, "And lift me to the top of the wall."

Nug and Frizz gulped as the same thought came into their heads. "Sarge," said Nug quietly. "Perhaps one of us should go up and over first."

"Come on, men! There is no the time for dilly-dabbling, (h)especially now," Blob pressed.

"But Sarge, us two are…well…" Frizz thought of how to explain in an inoffensive way. "…We're lighter than you…"

His reply was a quizzical look from the sergeant. "And…and longer arms…" Nug added quickly.

"Hmm, true," Blob considered. "Very well then. Nug 'as volunteered to go over first."

Nug froze. "But…but I don't like heights…"

Too late. Frizz and Blob each grabbed one of Nug's feet and they hoisted him to the top of the wall. Nug grabbed the top and hauled himself up. He lay precariously on the wall, looking nervously down at the other two. Frizz was the next to be sent up. Only Sergeant Blob needed to get to the top of the wall. Both corporals gulped, breathed in heavily, and grabbed each of Blob's wrists and began to pull him up.

"Ah! Sarge, look!" Nug cried, pointing at something behind them. The other two Uprneys looked to see what it was. Nug was pointing at a small Noop, standing still against a wall. It held a doll in its hand.

"Go away, child. Can't you see we is busy?" Blob told the Noop impatiently. The Noop didn't budge.

"She's seen through the disguise, Sarge! What'll we do?" Nug asked.

"Oh no Sarge, she's going to spill the beans! She'll tell everyone we're here, and she'll bring a mob to kill us! Think of something before she tells someone!" Frizz pleaded frantically.

"Hurry before we loose our grip…" added Nug, struggling to keep a hold of Blob's wrist.

Sergeant Blob peered at the 'Noop', and frowned at the realisation of what it really was. "You dim-witted Urpneys! You two 'as been fooled; it is just a…a scarecrow. Pull me up, men! Hurry!" he demanded, trying to climb his way up the rest of the wall. Frizz and Nug hoisted the sergeant up the wall, and they fell back over into a bush on the other side.

Blob looked from left to right. Through the leaves he could see the Dream Maker's garden, an impressive sight to behold indeed. The garden was like paradise. Several birds lined the branches of the trees and they sang merrily. In the far corner of the garden, the shape of Mr Blossom the gardener could be seen as he skilfully trimmed one of the hedges. He seemed so focused it seemed nothing could distract him. Fortunately for the Urpneys, Albert – their true foe – wasn't visible, and neither were Rufus and Amberley; they must be inside, Blob thought.

"What's going on? I can't see what's happening," asked Frizz impatiently. He pushed Nug a little to the right. "Move over! You're taking up too much space; you'll give me away."

Nug pushed Frizz back in retaliation. "Don't! You'll give _me_ away. You've got more space than I 'ave."

"Be quiet, men, or we will be 'eard!" Blob whispered sternly. He watched as Mr Blossom moved away to tend to other plants. "The coast appears to be clear."

As they began to climb out the bush, the latch on the front door lifted and the Urpneys leapt back into the bush to hide. They looked on as Rufus and Amberley stepped outside, accompanied by Albert. The Dream Maker appeared at the door to see the Noops off. Mr Blossom moved back to where he was standing before to continue with the same task.

"We shan't be long, sir," Amberley added to something they had been saying before they had stepped outside.

"Why, this is most kind of you two," said the Dream Maker. "I shall have to find a way to repay this deed. Take care," he added, before heading back inside the castle, closing the door.

"What are they talking about?" asked Nug.

"It does not matter now. Talking will not accompany to this plan," said Blob.

Once the two Noops had left with Albert, the three Urpneys stumbled back out of the bush and bounded towards the door of the castle. The Dream Maker would usually leave the door closed but unlocked whenever Rufus and Amberley were out. Nug reached for the latch, opened the door and they crept in, closing it behind them.

The door closed with a soft thud, but Mr Blossom heard it. He turned around to see what was happening, but no-one could be seen. He walked to the door and noticed a trail of straw on the ground.

"Hay?" he asked himself. "I knew them farmers couldn't tie up the hay bales properly, making hard-working folk like me have to tidy up after them," he sighed as he picked up a broom and began to sweep the straw away.

* * *

The corridors of the castle were made of stone, with pillars of green marble standing against the walls. Paintings of skies hung on the walls, looking like little windows. The Urpneys recognised everything within the castle; they had been here so many times. It was like a routine; an all too familiar sight for the Urpneys, and a sight they hoped they would never see again.

Suddenly, footsteps coming from down the hallway!

"Who's that?" Frizz asked. "Oh no! Someone's coming this way! What'll we do, Sarge? We'll be caught if we don't do something!" He was almost panicking.

"They'll 'ear us if we run and hide," said Nug.

"Quiet, men! Now is the moment to see if our disguises 'as worked. Freeze!" Blob ordered quietly, and the three Urpneys leaned against the wall with their arms held outward, as if they were scarecrows.

The footsteps in the distance belonged to that of Rufus and Amberley, having returned. They carried a basket of candles – this was their kind deed. Albert wasn't with them, for he had gone elsewhere to find his master.

The two Noops caught sight of the three 'scarecrows', and stopped. "Hmm," mused Rufus, as they put the basket on the floor. "Scarecrows? These weren't here before. Why are _these_ here?"

"Perhaps this is the order the Dream Maker was talking about earlier? He was expecting an order of something today," Amberley suggested.

"Of course; I forgot," Rufus remembered. "Shouldn't they be out in the garden then?"

"I know," said Amberley, "why don't we set them up outside to surprise the Dream Maker? He'll be overjoyed. And I bet Mr Blossom will be happy too."

The Urpneys gulped. They were going to be discovered!

"Well…they look a bit heavy, don't they?" said Rufus as he gazed at the 'scarecrows'. "We can't carry them outside. We'll need a wheelbarrow to move them."

"I think there's a one in the garden shed. Come on, let's bring it here," said Amberley. They started off in the direction of the front door, leaving the basket of candles on the floor.

"My arms are aching, Sarge," whispered Frizz, struggling to hold them outward.

"Mine are too, Sarge," Nug whispered also.

Rufus spun round, sensing something uncanny. He frowned at the 'scarecrows' for a moment, before carrying on back down the hallway.

As soon as the coast was clear, the Urpneys scuttled down the corridor, further into the castle. They didn't seem aware of the trail of straw they left behind with each step they took.

Frizz ran back up to the basket Rufus and Amberley had left, and took one of the candles. "Just for when I'm doing a bit of light bedtime reading," he said as he ran back to catch up with his troop.

* * *

A while later, Rufus and Amberley returned in the corridor to where they had seen the three scarecrows. They were again accompanied by Albert, who had come to see what they were doing. Rufus had brought the wheelbarrow with him, which trundled noisily across the stone floor. They arrived back to where the scarecrows were standing – or should I say _had_ been standing? The scarecrows were gone!

Rufus put the wheelbarrow down and scratched his head. "Oh. That's odd. They were right here a minute ago."

"Perhaps the Dream Maker has already taken them outside?" Amberley suggested. "Mr Blossom has been outside the whole time; he couldn't have moved them."

At that moment, the Dream Maker appeared and he floated in the direction of his office. "Look, here he comes now," Rufus noticed. "We can ask him about them."

The Dream Maker noticed the basket of candles and made his way towards it. "Ah, marvellous. Thank you very much, young Noops. These candles will last a long time."

"Oh, sir," Amberley asked. "I was just wondering where the three scarecrows have gone."

"Scarecrows?" the Dream Maker asked. He thought for a moment, and chuckled. "Young Amberley, I don't have the slightest idea what you're talking about."

The two Noops didn't laugh, but glanced worryingly at each other. "But…didn't you order some scarecrows for the garden?" Rufus asked nervously.

The Dream Maker chuckled again. "Why Rufus, I don't recall ordering any scarecrows and I doubt I will need any. Otherwise, how would I be able to collect birdsong for everyone's dreams if the birds are frightened away by scarecrows, the poor things," he explained. "No, I believe you two must have been daydreaming, don't you?"

Rufus and Amberley exchanged each other a puzzled look. "Er…yes, I suppose, sir, we…we must have been…" Rufus spoke bewilderedly. But deep down, he knew this wasn't true.

"But remember, dreaming is an inspiration for many, so there is nothing to worry about or be ashamed of," the Dream Maker added with a smile. "And speaking of dreaming, remember to hurry back for sending tonight's dreams in a few hours." And with that, he floated away to his office. Albert followed, before spotting something…

As soon as the Dream Maker was gone, Amberley spoke to Rufus. "We couldn't have daydreamt what happened. We definitely saw three scarecrows standing right there!" She pointed to the wall.

"But if the Dream Maker doesn't remember ordering any, then what were they doing here? And where are they now?" Rufus wondered.

As the perplexed Noops pondered over what to do next, they heard a bark from nearby. They spun round to see what was going on. Albert was by the floor, signalling for them to come and see. He was drawing attention to a trail of straw that led down the corridor and into the heart of the castle.

"Good boy, Albert. I knew we didn't imagine it," said Amberley. "Come on, let's see where it leads." She started in the direction of the trail with Albert.

"Wait a moment," said Rufus.

"What is it?" Amberley's voice sounded a bit frustrated. She paused to hear what Rufus had to say, while Albert carried on following the trail.

Rufus was contemplating something. "Those scarecrows, was it just me or did they look a bit…familiar somehow?"

Amberley contemplated too. "Hmm. Now that you mention it, yes, they did."

"I definitely recognise them from somewhere. Now where have I seen them before?" Rufus wondered.

"Well I thought they looked a little bit like Urpneys," Amberley stated.

Rufus nodded. "Yeah," he said absent-mindedly in agreement. Suddenly, a realisation dawned on them and an expression of anxiousness came to their faces. Rufus was the first to speak. "You don't think…?"

"It must be," Amberley replied. "Of course! Come on, we have to rescue the Dreamstone!" she urged. The two Noops rushed to catch up with Albert.


	4. Chapter 4

At the top of the staircase of the tower was a small corridor with a door at the end, and a solitary torch to illuminate the dark of the tower. The Urpneys knew what to do. Nug lifted up the doormat to reveal a small key that glinted in the torchlight. The key was handed to Blob, and he placed the key in the lock and turned it to unlock the door. They didn't want to leave any trace of their theft. The door opened, and they stepped into the room that they had seen so many times before. The Urpneys took the sacks off their heads as they stepped in. They left the door unlocked so as to make a quick getaway.

The room they had entered was the most beautiful room in the whole castle. Everything in this room sparkled and glimmered in the light shining from the windows, and pillars made of clear crystal circled the room – in fact, the ceiling were also coated in crystal. The walls and floor resembled what looked like star maps, only these were prettier than any night sky ever was. Around the walls were spherical panels made of a silver metal. In the centre of the room stood a pyramid-shaped table with a velvety-pink cushion sitting on top, and a small table with chemistry bottles stood to its side. In whole, the room was astonishing, but to the Urpneys, it wasn't. Anything that wasn't Viltheedian was deemed inferior (or at least that was what they were meant to believe). But sitting on the cushion was a glistening egg-shaped box, made of gold and decorated with gems. Inside this was the prize Zordrak longed to possess – the Dreamstone.

"Well, 'ere we are, men. Now the Dreamstone is ours for the taking," Blob announced to the corporals.

"We're 'ere, we're 'ere!" Frizz said excitedly.

Blob reached for the precious stone and picked it up from the box. The stone glowed, almost as if it were calling for help.

"I can't wait to see Urpgor's face when we get back to Viltheed with this!" Frizz exclaimed with glee. "Let's go now before we get discovered."

"Not so fast!" a female voice shouted. The Urpneys spun round to see the familiar shapes of Rufus and Amberley. Floating above them was Albert, who growled and bared his sharp teeth at the sight of the intruders.

"Argh, we've been discovered, Sarge!" Nug worried.

"They've probably barricaded all the doors so we can't escape! And they're going to take us to the dungeons and torture us!" Frizz whined.

Before Sergeant Blob could say anything to calm the others down, Rufus, Amberley and Albert advanced forward. "Put the Dreamstone back where you took it from," Rufus said sternly. He said this as if it had been rehearsed many times before.

"Hurry, men, withdraw!" Sergeant Blob yelled, noticing the exposed door behind the Noops. The Urpneys rushed as fast as they could towards the door. Rufus leapt at them but he missed and fell to the floor. The Urpneys dashed out the room and started down the stairs. Albert followed them, barking. Rufus got back to his feet, and he and Amberley ran after the intruders.

The Urpneys were making a quick getaway down the tower stairs, but Rufus, Amberley and Albert were still in hot pursuit. Before long, they were back in the laboratory. The Urpneys made a break for the door leading back into the hallway, but before they could reach it, Albert swam as fast as he could and overtook them, beating them to the door. He spun back round and snarled at the Urpneys – he had blocked their only escape route.

The Urpneys yelped and ran in another direction, towards the pipe organ that the Dream Maker used to collect music for the dreams. As they ran, they left the continuing trail of straw behind them. The two Noops and Albert continued to follow and bark at them. The Urpneys ran past the bookshelves, past the tanks containing sunshine, past the shelves of dream bottles and past the barrels of laughter. The door was again in view, and the Urpneys made another break for it, but Albert caught up with them and blocked their way again, forcing them to go back and around.

After a while, the group were running around in circles through the room, passing the same scenery as before. Whenever the Urpneys moved towards the door, Albert would seemingly appear from nowhere and block the only exit, making them go back round. A trail of straw began to build up on the floor.

Amberley bolted to the door. "I'm going to fetch the Dream Maker!" she called.

"Okay, but hurry; I don't think I can run for much longer!" Rufus panted. Amberley left the room to find the Dream Maker. Albert seemed alright to let _her_ past.

"Sarge, I…I don't think I can run for much longer either…" Nug spluttered.

Frizz was lagging behind the other two. "Sarge, can we slow down? I'm worn out…I think I'm going to faint…" he wheezed.

"Don't give in to the enemy! Keep running, men! They shall soon tire," Blob ordered.

"Oh!" Frizz groaned. His feet were feeling heavier by the second. He wasn't looking where he was going. He stepped on the trail of straw, which slipped underfoot.

"Argh! 'Elp, I'm slipping!" he squealed as he skidded forward into Nug and Blob. They shot forward like curling stones, heading towards the vast stack of barrels. The Urpneys shrieked, and there was a loud crash as they collided. Wood flew through the air as if it was raining sawdust.

Rufus ran towards the commotion. "Gotcha! Come on, Albert, we…woah!" he yelled as he too slipped on the trail of straw and went ploughing into more barrels. There was another crash.

As the dust began to clear, the Urpneys slowly sat up and they groaned in agony and steadied their heads together. Bubbles began to spill out of the barrels and float around the group. A small pile of broken wood next to them wobbled and Rufus rose out of it. He shook the broken planks from his head and glared angrily but triumphantly at the Urpneys.

"Right, you can hand over the Dreamstone…now…?" Rufus began as bubbles began to fly around his head. He tried to continue to speak, but instead started to giggle.

The Urpneys were confused. "There's nothing funny, is there? What do you think's gotten over him, Sarge?" Nug asked as he slowly began chuckling.

Frizz started to giggle too. "I'm laughing too. It's these bubbles doing this; they're going everywhere!"

Bubbles were slowly surrounding the group and Rufus, Frizz and Nug were now howling with laughter. It looked hard to believe that these beings, who were laughing together, were enemies. Only Blob and Albert remained unaffected. Albert watched on in knowing curiosity, as Blob stood up and tried to lift the other Urpneys to their feet, but they were just too squirmy to stand up on their own.

"What 'as 'appened to you two? This is no laughing matter!" he shouted as he looked down at the laughing wrecks and started tapping his feet impatiently. "We've got to get going! The Dream Maker will be 'ere any seconds now, and I (h)am not going back to Viltheed alone." As he said this, he waved his hands about in an irritated manner.

Nug struggled to salute. "I know, but it's no good, Sarge! I can't stop laughing!"

"Neither can I, Sarge!" cried Frizz. "My lungs hurt! That's what these bubbles are for – for killing us! They're going to make us laugh forever until we suffocate!"

"Don't be silly, Frizz," Blob ordered intolerantly. "I severely doubt the Dream Maker will be brave enough to conjure bubbles for killing – or (h)anything, come to think of it," he pondered, seemingly forgetting the severity of the situation.

"Give the Dreamstone back now," said Rufus, trying to sound serious through the laughing. He tried to crawl towards Blob but his arms and legs were shaking. This act reminded Blob of their mission and he held the Dreamstone away from the hapless Noop.

Sergeant Blob was now getting very impatient. "Pull yourselves together, men! Where are your senses of determination and contamination? If you don't stop this tom-foolery, I'll…I'll…" A grin appeared on his face as bubbles surrounded him. He closed his mouth to try not fall under the same spell as the others, but he could not escape and he was soon joining in laughing with the others. His laughs were very loud and echoed off the walls and equipment.

As Blob fell to the floor, the Dreamstone rolled out of his hands and stopped not far from where they were. Rufus pointed at it. His arm wobbled as he struggled to keep still.

"Albert, get the Dreamstone while its safe!" he called. Albert immediately began to swim through the air to the shimmering stone.

The Urpneys somehow managed to open their eyes and notice the advancing Albert. "Quick, men, get the stone before the fish does!" Blob laughed. Tears were streaming out of his eyes; it was unclear whether these were tears of laughter or fear.

"We're trying, Sarge, honest!" Frizz replied through fits of giggles. The candle he had stolen earlier fell from his pocket and rolled across the floor.

"I can't reach," Nug said as he made a feeble grab for the stone. Before he could try again, Albert swooped down and carried the Dreamstone away in his mouth. He seemed to suffer no effects from the bubbles.

"No, too late! Too late!" Frizz moaned, although he didn't sound the least bit upset. They watched as Albert placed the Dreamstone on top of one of the highest bookcases. There was no chance of the Urpneys getting it back now.

The door burst open and Amberley rushed in, followed by the Dream Maker. "Oh no, Sarge, we've been caught!" Frizz chortled.

"Quick, they're in here," Amberley said hurriedly to the Dream Maker. "They won't have much…time?" Her voice trailed off as she caught sight of Rufus and the Urpneys rolling around on the floor together, laughing together. Bubbles were billowing all around them. "Rufus, what's happened?" she asked, stunned, followed by a frown and folded arms. "And what's so funny?"

"It appears they're experiencing the magical effects of bubbles of laughter," the Dream Maker sussed as his feet touched the floor.

"Sir, over here!" Rufus managed to call without laughing. "The bubbles have stopped them."

"Please let it stop, please!" Frizz begged. He tried to show an upset expression, but it was near impossible to do so.

"I don't like it either!" Nug shouted afterwards. Blob didn't say anything, but it was clear the sergeant was trying to beg for mercy too.

"I dare say they are all enjoying themselves," said the Dream Maker jokingly, "But perhaps we should listen to them and let them regain their strength." As he spoke, the Dream Maker pointed at the damaged barrels and a beam of magical light shot from his fingers. Immediately, the barrels fixed themselves, and the remaining bubbles dispersed and floated up and away. The Urpneys sat up and groaned as the effects wore off.

Amberley rushed to Rufus and helped him to his feet. "Are you alright, Rufus?" she asked.

"I'm fine," he replied. "In fact, I rather enjoyed that. I don't think _they_ did though." He looked over at the three Urpneys, grinning at them. The Urpneys were still sitting on the floor.

"It's over, it's over," said Nug.

"Oh, I 'aven't laughed like that in years," sighed Frizz.

"Be quiet, Frizz!" Blob shouted at him with dismay. "You stupid Urpneys! If you two 'adn't 'ave taken your (h)eyes off the floor, we would 'ave succeeded!"

"I didn't even want to do this thing anyway," Frizz sulked guiltily.

"What's Urpgor going to say?" Nug remembered.

Frizz turned pale. "Oh, I forgot about him!" He, and the other Urpneys, looked guiltily upward at the Dream Maker's calm-but-firm glare. They grinned nervously at the imposing figure – they knew what the Dream Maker was capable of. Rufus and Amberley stood by his side and they too were glaring.

"Well, I believe these are the three 'scarecrows' I was told about," he said to no-one in particular as his gaze turned from the Urpneys to pieces of straw scattered across the ground. "Now, I believe there is the small matter of a…precious treasure that needs returning to its rightful place, don't you?"

Albert swam up to the top of the bookcase to collect the Dreamstone. He picked the stone up in his mouth before swimming back to the Dream Maker, and handed it to him.

"Thank you, Albert," said the Dream Maker. He handed the Dreamstone to Rufus, who headed to the tower to put it back where it belonged. "Now, what are we to do with you three trespassers?"

"When will you three ever learn that the Dreamstone is guarded, and not yours or Zordrak's?" Amberley asked stubbornly.

"We'll go! Just don't make us walk back! Please!" Frizz weeped.

"It's too far, and the Whirleyped's _miles_ away!" Nug wailed.

"Are they telling the truth, sir?" Amberley asked.

The Dream Maker thought for a moment. "Hmm…I think they are. They look very tired, and I suppose they've had enough for one day. I could conjure a door to take them back to their flying machine, when I find out where it is."

"Oh, thank you! Thank you!" Frizz exclaimed.

At that moment, the points on the pentagram on the floor began to light up, and they shone upward until they collided. Where they met, a face began to appear in the light. The face was that of Pildit, the leader of the Wuts. "Greenleaf calling Whitebeard," he called.

The Dream Maker turned to the image. "Yes Greenleaf, come in."

"We've just found the Urpneys' flying machine at the edge of the Land of Dreams, by the south side of the mountains. Has there been an attack to take the Dreamstone yet?"

"An attack?" The Dream Maker glanced at the dizzy Urpneys, and then back to Pildit. "Nothing to worry about, Greenleaf. The Urpneys have been apprehended. Just leave their flying machine where it is, I shall be sending them there now. Over."

"I'm glad to hear it, Whitebeard. Over and out," Pildit said, breathing a small sigh of relief. The image vanished.

The Dream Maker pointed at a space on the floor, and a magical door appeared. He and Amberley signalled for the Urpneys to exit through this door, to which the Urpneys obeyed grudgingly. As soon as they had left, the door vanished in a shimmer of glitter, and so did the trails of straw. The Dream Maker spotted the discarded candle on the floor and picked it up.

Rufus reappeared at the foot of the tower stairs and stepped back into the laboratory. "The Dreamstone's back safely. That was a close call."

"Indeed it was," the Dream Maker agreed, "And I must apologise for assuming you two were daydreaming earlier. But don't forget, Zordrak's forces will return to steal the Dreamstone again. Laughter bubbles have certainly been proved to be an amusing choice of defence, but I shan't want to waste too many, as they should be used in dreams instead of repelling enemy forces."

"Speaking of laughter, sir, I'm sorry about all those bubbles escaping like that," Rufus apologised.

The Dream Maker chuckled. "It's quite alright, Rufus, quite alright."

"But sir, what about the bubbles that have escaped?" asked Amberley.

"I'm sure it'll be fine. After all, their magic will always stay with them, and I'm sure they will brighten someone else's day."

After the Dream Maker finished the sentence, a bell rang through the castle. There was someone at the door! The Dream Maker and the two Noops headed to the front door to see who was there.

Standing at the front door was a Noop wearing a delivery uniform and carrying a clipboard in his hand. "A delivery for the Dream Maker?" he asked.

"Ah, yes. I almost forgot about the order in the excitement of the moment," the Dream Maker said as he signed the clipboard. The delivery Noop tipped his hat to say 'thank you'. He then stepped aside, revealing a large yellow flower held steady in a plant-pot. He then carried the flower into the hallway, before leaving.

"That's the order?" Rufus asked, bemused, as he and Amberley gazed up at the yellow petals.

"Of course," said the Dream Maker. "This flower will be the perfect thing for brightening up rainy days, and I've always had a soft spot for flowers. Whatever did you two think I had ordered?" He chuckled to himself.

The two Noops knew the Dream Maker knew what the answer to the question was. They too chuckled, seeing the funny side of it all. At the end of the day, there was nothing like a good laugh of reflecting on what had happened.

**

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**

Yeah, I know the Dream Maker could have easily conjured up the flower instead of ordering it, but in the show, whenever he wanted something like that, he would get it from the village. Well, it's nice to help the local community, isn't it?

**But don't go away just yet, readers! This isn't end; there is still another chapter to go!**


	5. Chapter 5

One laughter bubble found itself heading towards the barren landscape of the Land of Nightmares, and was soon floating through the threatening, dark caves of Viltheed. The caves were dark, only being lit from the fiery torchlights that hung upon the sides of the tunnels.

It entered the vast throne room and floated slowly towards Zordrak. Zordrak spotted the puny bubble floating towards him, and with one immense swish, he swept it aside with a roar of fury.

"DREAM MAKER! YOU WILL NEVER PREVAIL! MARK MY WORDS, NIGHTMARES WILL TRIUMPH OVER ALL!" he bellowed with all his might.

The bubble sped up its journey through another system of caves. These tunnels were lined with stone figures that had once been living before Zordrak had put a stop to them. It flew over the heads of Sergeant Blob, Nug and Frizz, but they didn't seem to notice; their heads hung in shame as they made the way to Urpgor's laboratory. Zordrak had summoned them to see the chief Urpney scientist after finding out they had failed yet again, and they knew what to expect. It would only be a matter of time before the other Urpneys would find out, and they would certainly be the laughing stock. Even the Wuts had sniggered at the sight of their disguises when they had stepped through the magic door to the Whirlyped. Frizz felt the most humiliated – it was his idea to try and succeed on their own, after all. The bubble continued whizzing down the bleak tunnel until it reached a wooden door, which swung open as it approached.

Urpgor was standing at his desk, writing and drawing plans for yet another bizarre machine, with his back to the door. He heard a swoosh and a slam behind him, and he spun around, alarmed.

"Go away! You're tress…" The first thing he saw was a sparkling bubble flying straight towards him. The first thought that came to his mind was that this was some sort of attack from the Land of Dreams, but there was no time to move out the way! Urpgor let out a shriek of fear…and swallowed.

And with that, the bubble was gone.

Urpgor hiccupped and stroked his neck. The bubble left a sweet taste in his mouth – just what he hated. He turned back round to continue his work, but something was not right. A funny sensation spread throughout his system. He knew this was the work of magic – the Dream Maker's magic – but what was it going to do?

A knocking sound from outside the room caught his attention again and he turned back round, but more cautiously this time. "Oh, who's there? I'm busy!" he called irritably, followed by another hiccup. "Why can't I ever be left alone?"

The glum forms of Blob, Nug and Frizz stood in the doorway. Urpgor grinned and beckoned them to enter. "Ah-ha! I've been expecting you!" he said to the soldiers. As he spoke, he felt the funny sensation grow inside him and he sniggered and pointed at the three Urpneys to humiliate them.

"I knew…I knew it! I knew you couldn't get anywhere by yourselves!" Urpgor chuckled a little more. "Looks like you're stuck with me now! This'll teach you to think you're better than me!" His grin widened and the giggles turned to laughs as he tried to continue. His arm fell to his side, but he raised it back to point at the soldiers again. "Ha! And the funny thing is that…is that…"

Urpgor couldn't finish the sentence. He collapsed to the floor, howling with hilarity. His eyes were closed, as it was impossible to open them while he laughed on, and he clutched his sides, as he felt he would fall to pieces if he didn't.

This sight was met only with confused, awkward glances from the other three Urpneys. "Alright Urpgor, calm down. There's no need to gloat about it all," Frizz said as they observed the laughing wreck before them.

THE END

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…**And as is traditional with a Dreamstone story, Frizz says the last words.**


End file.
